Apparatus for controlling the gas discharge from pressure reservoirs for breathing, particularly in diving appliances



Feb. 22, 1966 OLQMBQ 3,236,250

C. C APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE GAS DISCHARGE FROM PRESSURERESERVOIRS FOR BREATHING, PARTICULARLY IN DIVING APPLIANCES Filed June1, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 In 1/372 L 01- CAI- 3 r07 60 207mg: x

SSURE C. COLOMBO Feb. 22, 1966 APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE GASDISCHARGE FROM PRE RESERVOIRS FOR BREATHING, PARTICULARLY IN DIVINGAPPLIANCES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 1, 1962 E 2 Q? E a R I I I r I Im I at 2} Q 2 w |mm11l|1| i| w 1k *1 t 1 1 aw a; Q q E m 2 Feb. 22, 1966c. COLOMBO 3,236,250

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE GAS DISCHARGE FROM PRESSURE RESERVOIRS FORBREATHING, PARTICULARLY IN DIVING APPLIANCES Filed June 1, 1962 3Sheets-Sheet 3 1;? l/e'n 2. 0- CZLHQJZ M 602072-150 United States PatentOfiice 3,2362% Patented Feb. 22, 1966 This invention relates to anapparatus for controlling the gas discharge from pressure reservoirs forbreathing, particularly in diving appliances, whereby the gas is led tothe user through a mouthpiece controlled by a valve which is locatedbetween the pressure reservoir and a gas user and loaded in part by theunthrottled gas pressure, whereby the valve is either opened or closedin dependence on the direction of movement of a diaphragm Whichseparates one space, having therein the medium surrounding theapparatus, from another space communicating with the user, the diaphragmbeing movably connected with a sealing body whose position determinesthe valve opening.

In such apparatuses as known heretofore, the gas necessary for breathingis supplied to the diver when he opens the valve by a suction force,i.e. the diver must by sudden suction create such a vacuum on one sideof the di aphragm, that the diaphragm moves and the valve is opened.Thereby the valve is only opened during the suction force and therespiratory gas only flows as long as such force is exerted by thediver. As long as the diver exerts a suction force, in the spaceadjoining the diaphragm and communicating with the user a lower pressureprevails, than the water pressure acting on the outside of thediaphragm. As long as this pressure differ ence prevails, gas flows tothe diver. In prior art apparatuses this pressure difierence can only bemaintained by the suction force of the diver. Such a control of the gasflow has therefore the following disadvantages:

During the whole inhalation the diver must exert a suction force. Withincreasing diving depth the respiratory gas in the lungs is morestrongly compressed because of the pressure balance. Therefore, in orderto be able to fill the lungs with more highly compressed gas, much moregas must flow through the valve when inhaling. But, in order to open thevalve wider, a greater suction force must be exerted by the diver. Agreat suction force may, however, be exerted by the diver for a shorttime, and this strong suction force renders breathing very difiicult andabnormal. If consequently the diver exerts only a slight suction force,the flowing gas in the compressed state does not sufiice to fill hislungs, and if the diver exerts a great suction force, be can maintainthis for only a very short time; it is very arduous, and with this shortintermittent inhaling the lungs are only incompletely filled.

Moreover, in the known apparatuses, the flowing gas acts upon a valvebody so as to cause it to be moved more forcibly into a position inwhich the valve closes. If, consequently, with increasing diving depth,the diver must exert a greater suction force in order to open the valvewider so that the greater need for respiratory gas is covered, a greaterforce thereby achieved by greater gas flow acts on the valve body inorder to close the valve. Against the increasing suction force of thediver to press the diaphragm down, there acts an increasing closingforce of the valve to press the diaphragm upwards.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for easierbreathing. Thereby the lungs shall be filled entirely, and at greatdepths breathing shall be as easy as in the normal atmosphere. Inaddition, the apparatus shall be simple in construction and not liableto breakdowns. The gas shall thereby flow into the lungs as with anormal breathing movement in such a way that, at the commencement of thebreathing, at first a great flow occurs into the breathing organs andthen, as the breathing organs gradually fill, the flow is diminisheduntil complete standstill of the gas current, when the lungs are quitefull. Therewith the kind of flow shall exactly be adapted to normalbreathing and, with increasing diving depth, the gas shall flow at anincreased rate.

In accordance with the invention this problem is solved in that thepipe, leading the gas-flow from the valve to the user, together with thespace communicating with the user forms a jet apparatus known per se inrespiratory appliances, in order to have a gas-flow to the user even atpressure balance of the medium surrounding the apparatus and the gasissuing at the mouthpiece, and that the jet apparatus is put intooperation by a suction force and put out of operation by a greaterpressure of the gas issuing at the mouthpiece with respect to thepressure of the medium surrounding the apparatus.

A respiratory appliance has, indeed, already been made known, which hasan injector. But this device relates to a high-altitude respiratoryappliance and is not thought as a diving appliance. In this appliance,according to the principle of the injector, i.e. of a jet apparatus, therarefield atmospheric air is entrained by a gas jet of a pressurereservoir. However, an acting of the injector in the sense of theinstant invention is impossible in that the gas jet, after havingentrained the atmospheric air, no longer possesses such a high speed asstill to create, in the space adjoining the diaphragm, the vacuumnecessary to keep the valve in the open position. Furthermore, the gasjet for entraining the rarefield atmospheric air has already beenreduced by an additional pressure-reduction valve, so that the valve tobe actuated by the diaphragm is not loaded by the unthrottled gaspressure.

Further features of the invention will appear from the followingdescription and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein there is shown, purely by way of example, one preferredform of embodiment of the control apparatus incorporating the invention.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the opened diaphragm box;

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view taken on the line IIII in FIG. 1 of theclosed diaphragm box;

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view taken on the line III III of the closeddiaphragm box;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section through a valve.

A diaphragm box 5 comprises two circular shells 6 and 7. An inner spaceformed by the two shells is divided by a rubber diaphragm 8 into twochambers 9 and 10, whereby chamber 9 communicates by means of openings11 with the outside, and by means of a pipe 12 through a conventionalone-way valve 56 with a mouthpiece (not shown) of a diving appliance.Through a pipe 12 the used respiratory gases are led in the direction ofthe arrow to the open via chamber 9 which is filled with water whendiving, and the openings 11. Chamber 10 is connected to pipe 13. Throughpipe 13 the respiratory gas is conveyed in the direction of the arrow tothe diver by means of the aforementioned mouthpiece.

Said diaphragm shells 6 and 7, provided with two beaded rims 14 and 15,are held together by means of U-sectioned annular member 13 with theinterposition of a rubber gasket 16 and the diaphragm 8, and sealinglypressed together by means of a screw which extends through an eye 17(FIG. 3) as passage bore and is screwed into another threaded eye at theother end of shell 7.

said member. The side of the diaphragm 8 facing chamber 10 has a slideplate 19 fixed thereon by screws 19'.

Chamber 18 accommodates a valve 20 and its actuating members 21. Thevalve 20' is inserted in an opening 22 of the box shell 7. The casing ofvalve 20 is constructed in two parts and comprises an insert piece 23and a cover piece 24. These two parts have a space 51 therebetween. Asleeve 26 inserted in a bore 25 has axially movably guided therein apushrod 27 with a sealing body 28. Said pushrod is displaced by themovement of the diaphragm 8 by means of the actuating members 21 (FIG.3). Together with said sealing body, an opening 29 in the insert piece23 provides the valve seat, with which a choking of the high pressure,as it prevails in the pressure reservoir and space 51, is accomplished.The cylindrical sealing body 28 has inserted therein an annular sealingpacket 38, made for instance of a polyamide synthetic material. Saidcover piece 24 threadedly engages the insert piece 23 with interpositionof a disk 31 and thus holds the valve in place in the bottom of the boxIn a casing 32 open at one side, the sealing body 28 is, with lateralclearance 34, axially slidable against a compression spring 33 which isin series with the sealing body 28 and supported on the bottom of casing32. If the same pressure prevails in the chambers 9 and It the sealingbody 28 closes the opening 29 tight by the thrust of the prestressedspring 33. The end of the body 28 designed without longitudinal bore andfacing the bottom of the casing 32 open at one side, always communicatesthrough the lateral clearance 34 with the space 51, i.e., whether valve20 is closed or open.

Within bores 35 which are arranged in the cover piece 24 and throughwhich the unthrottled gas of the pressure reservoir flows, metal wool 36is brought in to keep out dust. Said bores are disposed substantiallyparallel to the direction of movement of the sealing body 28. Theyextend outside and along the casing 32. The cover piece 24 includes atapered metallic seat 37 which is sealingly engaged by a valve piece 39(shown dashdotted) of the pressure reservoir without interposition of asoft gasket. By means of a union 38 arranged to turn on the cover piece24, the whole diaphragm box is mounted on the valve piece 39 of thepressure reservoir. The reduced gas current flows through the insertpiece 23 and a pipe 40 into chamber 18 and pipe 13.

FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate the actuating members 21 for the sealing body28. A rod 41, fixed in the insert piece 23, has pivotally mounted in itsbearing eye 42 a doublearmed lever which is secured against axialdisplacement by means of a circlip 45. Said lever includes an offsetround rod 43 and a lobe 44 welded thereto. The round 'rod abuts on theslide plate 19 of the diaphragm 8 (FIG. 3). The insert piece 23 haspivotally mounted therein about a bearing pin 48 a one-armed lever 46adapted to actuate the pushrod 27 through a thrust plate 47. Insertedinto the other end of said lever 46 is a setscrew 49 on which the lobe44 rests.

The action of the control apparatus is as follows:

By means of the setscrew 49 the control apparatus is adjusted in such away that, for instance, already a pressure of 1 cm. water column on thediaphragm 8 causes same, via actuating members 21, to raise the sealingbody 28 from the opening 29 against the action of spring 33, thusallowing gas to flow. Through the dynamic action of the gas flowingthrough the opening 29, the sealing body 28 is moved against the thrustof spring 33, since the gas flowing through the bores 35 and opening 29entrains with it in the same direction the gas present in the casing 32,thus reducing the gas pressure in the casing 32. Thereby on theunderside of the sealing body 28 a lower gas pressure acts than on theupper side, and the valve is still further opened by the flowing gas.The gas then passes through pipe 40 into chamber This flowing of therespiratory gas from the pressure reservoir into chamber 10 isindependent of the gas required by the diver; it continues to flow untilthe same pressure prevails in the chambers 9 and 10. With increasingdepth of the diving appliance under water, the gas thus passes intochamber 10 for increase of pressure, in order to maintain equilibriumwith the pressure acting on the diaphragm 8. If the diver wants tobreathe, he must produce the slight pressure difference of 1 cm.water-column by one brief suction, and with this pressure gradient frompipe 13 to chamber 10 the gas flows through pipe 40 into pipe 13. Pipe40 constitutes with chamber 18 a jet apparatus, and the gas flowing outof pipe 40 at a high speed entrains the gas volume from chamber 10.Because of the reduced pressure in chamber 18, the diaphragm acts, viaactuating members 21, on the sealing body 28 and keeps the valve open.

By means of the slight pressure difference of 1 cm. water-column betweenthe chambers 18, 9, by brief suction of the diver the flow of gas isstarted and, assisted by the kinetic energy through the parts 48, 13 and34, 35 of the gas acting as injector, the valve remains open.

The more gas required by the diver, i.e., the greater the depth of dive,the greater is the pressure in chamber 9 and the more open the valve.But this additionally outflowing gas cannot build up the same pressureby the injector action of the parts 40, 12 in chamber 10 as in chamber9, so that the diaphragm remains depressed. With valve 20 open and withgas passing through pipe 13 to the diver, the flowing gas can give nopressure balance in the chambers 9, 10, so that with increasing divingdepth and increasing pressure in chamber 9 the valve is opened wider.

The gas continues to flow automatically (without suction force of thediver) until in his lungs there prevails a slight overpressure withrespect to the Water pressure. The valve will only close when, becauseof the overpressure in his lungs, a pressure surge reacts into the pipe13 to injector 40, 13.

Because of the injector 40, 13, in chamber 10 a lower pressure prevailsthan in chamber 9, even if the diver no longer exerts any suction force,i.e. if at the gas outlet of the mouthpiece for the diver and/or in pipe13 the same pressure prevails as in chamber 9. Further, with increaseddiving depth, i.e. with increased need of gas, a greater quantity of gasis taken automatically from the pressure reservoir (oxygen bottle). Thesealing body 28 of the valve is opened still more by the gas current inthe opening 29 and in the gap 34.

As soon as the gas current in pipe 13 is interrupted, say, by closingthe respiratory organs, the pressure surge building up in the pipe 13reacts at once on chamber 10 and causes the diaphragm to move in theclosing direction of the valve; the valve is then again closed, and thesealing body 28 is kept closed by the thrust of spring 33 and the forceof the body 28 loaded by the unthrottled gas pressure, resulting fromthe difference in the effective fluid pressure areas of the ends of body28.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for controlling the gas discharge from pressure reservoirsfor breathing, particularly in diving appliances, comprising; a valvecontrolling fluid flow between an inlet adapted for connection with apressure reservoir and an outlet adapted for connection with amouthpiece and loaded by the unthrottled gas pressure, a casing with adiaphragm therein defining with said casing expansible chambers onopposite sides of said diaphragm with one chamber communicating with theoutlet and the other communicating with ambient pressure, said valveincluding a movable cylindrical sealing body, said diaphragm beingconnected with the sealing body for moving same to open and closedpositions with respect to a valve seat facing upstream, a pipe leadinggas flow from the valve to the outlet and together with said one of saidexpansible chambers forming a jet assembly to provide a gas flow to auser even at pressure balance of the ambient pressure and the gasissuing at a mouthpiece, the movable cylindrical sealing body beingguided with lateral clearance within a recess formed in said casing, gasconveying passages leading from a pressure reservoir to the valve seatand surrounding said recess and being disposed longitudinally andsubstantially parallel to the direction of movement of said sealingbody, said lateral clearance and passages providing an aspiratingstructure reducing pressure within said recess upon fluid fiow throughsaid apparatus, whereby opening of said valve results in the aspiratingstructure efiecting a reduction of pressure in said recess supplementingthe action of the jet assembly to urge the valve to an open position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said sealing body isprovided with a pocket facing the valve seat together with a sealingmember therein so that the cylindrical sea-ling body may tightly coverthe valve seat.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which a onearmed lever and a pushrod are operatively supported within the casing and is itself movablyassociated with the sealing body by the pushrod, and said lever and pushrod being associated with the diaphragm.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,221,729 11/1940 Vance 251-323 2,251,441 8/1941 Dillman 251-39 X 2,318,827 5/ 1943Yant 137-64 2,817,334 12/1957 Sajeck 137-63 X 2,854,972 10/1958 Cummins128-142 2,878,807 3/1959 Gagnan 128-142 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,233,189 5/1960France. 461,203 6/1951 Italy.

ISADOR WEIL, Primary Examiner.

M. CARY NELSON, Examiner.

J. DEATON, R. GERARD, Assistant Examiner

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE GAS DISCHARGE FROM PRESSURE RESERVOIRSFOR BREATHING, PARTICULARLY IN DIVING APPLIANCES, COMPRISING; A VALVECONTROLLING FLUID FLOW BETWEEN AN INLET ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION WITH APRESSURE RESERVOIR AND AN OUTLET ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION WITH AMOUNTHPIECE AND LOADED BY THE UNTHROTTLED GAS PRESSURE, A CASING WITH ADIAPHRAGM THEREIN DEFINING WITH SAID CASING EXPANSIBLE CHAMBERS ONOPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID DIAPHRAGM WITH ONE CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH THEOUTLET AND THE OTHER COMMUNICATING WITH AMBIENT PRESSURE, SAID VALVEINCLUDING A MOVABLE CYLINDRICAL SEALING BODY, SAID DIAPHRAGM BEINGCONNECTED WITH THE SEALING BODY FOR MOVING SAME TO OPEN AND CLOSEDPOSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO A VALVE SEAT FACING UPSTREAM, A PIPE LEADINGGAS FLOW FROM THE VALVE TO THE OUTLET AND TOGETHER WITH SAID ONE OF SAIDEXPANSIBLE CHAMBERS FORMING A JET ASSEMBLY TO PROVIDE A GAS FLOW TO AUSER EVEN AT PRESSURE BALANCE OF THE AMBIENT PRESSURE AND THE GASISSUING AT A MOUTHPIECE, THE MOVABLE CYLINDRICAL SEALING BODY BEINGGUIDED WITH LATERAL CLEARANCE WITHIN A RECESS FORMED IN SAID CASING, GASCONVEYING PASSAGES LEADING FROM A PRESSURE RESERVOIR TO THE VALVE SEATAND SURROUNDING SAID